A fresh taste of grace

Stumbling is a part of the Christian life.

We strive to walk, live, talk, and act like Jesus tells us to.

But we are sinful people.

We are going to miss the mark some times.

Until we reach Heaven's gate we will have to do battle with the flesh that constantly fights to win.

I am fully saved by grace but I mess up every single day.  Some times it affects me alone.  Other times I hurt other people in the process of my mess.  And I serve them up a platter of hurt too.

Today was one of those days.

I don't want to diminish my wrong.  It was real.  It has consequences.

But I don't want to miss this opportunity to maximize the grace that was given.

The moment I took the matter to God.  Grace was given.  Mercy extended.  Forgiveness found. 

Since then I have found that I have wanted to just be quiet and tender before the Lord. It just seems sweet....and right.  His grace really is greater than ALL our sin.

Has that fallen fresh on you lately?

Maybe you haven't had to receive fresh grace in a while.  Maybe you haven't had to ask for forgiveness...good for you.

But today I did.  

God didn't just stop with His forgiveness.  He sent me on to others (yes, real people) to ask it from them as well.

It is funny how we tend to fight the way this feels.

It doesn't feel good.  Believe me.  But there is a right-ness to it.  An order of setting things right so to speak.

Anyway it has been good for me.

It has been a faint reminder of the moment I accepted Jesus and he took the burden of my sin away.  That was a long time ago.  I was just 9 years old when I gave my heart and life to Jesus.  But that initial feeling of freedom...every sin, every fault, every wrong in the past, present, and future was wiped away.  I remember how light I felt...like I could walk on air.

I wish I could have had the reminder without committing the fault.  But this time it didn't work out that way.

Grace seems more tangible tonight.  Like I can almost feel it with my hands.  Maybe because I have received a fresh dose...

John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth".